Shloka 19

Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ

Devanagari script

विब्रूत पृथिवीपाला वाक्‍्यं मा वा कथंचन । मन्ये न्याय्यं यदत्राहं तद्धि वक्ष्यामि कौरवा:

Transliteration

vibrūta pṛthivīpālā vākyaṃ mā vā kathaṃcana | manye nyāyyaṃ yadatrāhaṃ taddhi vakṣyāmi kauravāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô rois, ne déformez mes paroles d’aucune manière. Je dirai ici ce que je tiens pour juste et convenable—écoutez, ô Kaurava.»

Word by Word

विब्रूतspeak (you all), say

पृथिवीपालाkings (protectors of the earth)

वाक्यम्word, statement

माnot (prohibitive particle)

वाor

कथंचनin any way, at all

मन्येI think, I consider

न्याय्यम्proper, just, right

यत्which, what

अत्रhere, in this matter

अहम्I

तत्that

हिindeed, surely

वक्ष्यामिI will speak, I will say

कौरवाःO Kauravas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

pṛthivīpālāḥ (kings)

Kauravas (Kuru lineage)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes integrity in communication: do not twist another’s words, and judge matters by what is nyāyya—just and dharmically proper—before speaking.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana addresses kings/Kauravas, asking them not to misconstrue his statement and announcing that he will present what he deems the rightful, just position in the matter at hand.